More students are disregarding paper tickets from the airlines and turning to electronic tickets as a cheaper form of travel.
Obtaining an electronic ticket is a simple process that allows you to purchase your airline ticket online, through a travel agency or at the terminal of the air transportation provider.
Christmas is the second busiest time of year when it comes to air travel in Tallahassee compared to Thanksgiving, which is currently ranked at number one.
Fast service is the key to getting students in and out of the airport, said Paul Wood, who has been a travel agent at Air -Sea Travel for five years.
About 15 percent of students in Tallahassee use different airlines as a source of travel during the holidays, said Brenda Smith, who has been the assistant division manager at AAA for three years.
This process is convenient because the students do not have to worry about
standing in long lines, said Bilal Sharif, 20, third year CIS student from
New York.
The Kiosk is an automated machine at the airport that allows you to input
your information about your flight destination so that you will be able to board
the appropriate aircraft.
To use the Kiosk machine you have to have a credit card or drivers license
that has a magnetic strip on the back so it will be able to bring up the
appropriate record in the machine to give a student their boarding pass.
“This is a new technology and a new way the airlines are doing business,” said
Smith who has 32 years of experience with AAA. “Not all of them have implemented
them yet, but there are several that have.”
When students use the electronic ticket, all of their information is stored
electronically in the appropriate airline database, said Wood.
“My wait was about five minutes when I used the E-ticket, after I checked my
bags, compared to the 10 minutes I had to wait when I used the regular ticket,”
said a frequent flyer, 22, a nursing student at TCC from Tallahassee who wanted
to conceal her identity.
Electronic tickets can be purchased online at the participating airline
Website of your choice.
If a student is in a rush and forgets to bring their ticket, it is not a
problem because all they have to do it is remember the flight number and their
name and they will be able to receive another boarding pass, said Wood.
Smith recommends that students do their homework and research the best prices
so that they can save money since airline tickets are non-refundable.
Travel Check List For Students
1. Bring the Electronic Ticket with you
2. Make sure that you have your driver’s license or credit card with a magnetic
strip on back
3. Write down the flight number of your airplane and put it in your wallet or
purse next to your drivers license so if you were to loose your electronic
ticket, the attendant will be able to give you an additional copy of your
ticket.
4. Make sure that you do not have items in the carry on bag that will detain you
from getting on the flight in a timely manner
5. Arrive two hours early just in case there is a delay
6. Check in as much baggage as you can
7. If you have a carry on make sure that it can fit in the overheard compartment
8. When you come back from the holidays make sure that your aircraft can
accommodate for your additional
luggage or look for alternative shipping
Source: Brenda Smith from AAA and Paul Wood from Air-Sea Travel